This invention relates to an exercising apparatus useful for administrating physical therapy to patients who have various physical afflictions or are recovering from surgery. It is primarily applicable to patients having a need to strengthen the hip, knee or ankle joints. The apparatus of the invention may be used in a hospital for treating patients who have had hip or knee surgery, in a nursing home where aged residents may benefit from the exercises provided, and in private homes where arthritic patients or those recovering from surgery or may benefit from specified exercises.
It is a well-accepted medical principle that many afflictions resulting from increased age, arthritis and surgery are improved by physical exercise. In recognition of this broad principle, the prior art is replete with physical exercising devices which enable a patient to exercise the specific areas of the body, the following patents disclosing a typical but inexhaustive collection of such devices, U.S. Pat. Nos.:
1,531,670 Levy PA1 1,948,534 Nelson et al. PA1 2,340,666 Johanson PA1 2,408,597 Belling PA1 2,455,274 Scriver PA1 2,689,127 Silverton et al. PA1 2,763,261 Masmonteil et al. PA1 3,020,046 Hotas PA1 3,374,675 Keropian PA1 3,421,760 Freeman, Jr. PA1 3,467,374 Auer PA1 3,524,643 Hazelitt, Sr. PA1 3,526,220 Small et al. PA1 3,568,666 Dunn PA1 3,580,244 Graves PA1 3,598,405 Burns PA1 3,612,042 Fry PA1 3,661,149 Ferries PA1 3,749,400 Stoffel PA1 3,797,824 Osbourne PA1 3,917,261 Small et al. PA1 4,089,330 Nicolosi et al.
The Ferries U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,149 describes an exercising device which may be used to swing the foot from side-to-side and to pivot the foot on its ankle to stretch the heel cords. A longitudinally adjustable leg rest is not moved during exercises, so knee bending is not contemplated.
Exercising devices which enable a patient to move his ankle are well-known and exemplified by the Small et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,261. Knee exercising devices are shown, for example, by Stoffel U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,400; and, leg-swinging hip exercising devices are known and exemplified by Belling U.S. Pat. No. 2,408,597. There are also many general purpose exercisers capable of use for exercising a variety of joints and limbs, two such general purpose devices being described by the Keropian U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,675 and Nicolosi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,330.